Editorial: Who Are We?

On a number of occasions, The New Dawn-Liberia has come under a number of sharp criticisms from a few individuals and political institutions. Such criticisms, made to editors of this paper, focus on our news contents, most especially lead or headline stories on its front page.

While some attribute the hard news reported by this paper to the fact that we may be against the interest of opposition politicians, a few others accuse us of being paid by the Unity Party to publish such news on the opposition.

Equally so, some  stalwarts the Unity Party has also on a few occasions pointed accusing fingers at this paper for championing the cause of the opposition.-No wonder why their advertisements and supplements are never given to us for publication. If both the opposition and ruling parties continue to brands The New Dawn-Liberia from their own perspectives,, who then could we be?

Again,  we do understand very well that whenever  our publications suit their taste, they comment not, but when critical there are all sorts of comments and criticisms to demonize us. All that we say to our critics and readers is that we do not harbor malice against any individual, institution, organization or sector of the Liberian society. Our business here at The New Dawn-Liberia is to present ourselves as truly independent.

For example, when we reported the story: PYJ Storms Nimba, it was all “ha, ha, ha, but when we reported the story PYJ Paralyzed? We were supposed to be paid to publish the story. Today Senator Johnson is off for medication in confirmation of our various publications on his ailment-and no one is commenting.

Another example is the Weah-Brumskine Accra Deal which we followed to the end. Initially, we were accused of being paid to publish such stories and articles to demonize Weah and Brumskine, but today, we all are living testimonies to all of our publications on the Weah-Brumskine Deal. We are all aware of what’s happening presently behind the scene. Who then, are we?

What our brothers and sisters in the opposition and ruling Unity Party need to understand from this moment is that we owe loyalty to one or institution, and that our responsibility is to report the news in line with the principles of good journalism-that which we’ve always done

We here at The New Dawn-Liberia. Have never been, are not and do not intent to be praise-singers, cheering squad or mouthpiece for any politician or political party, but will continue to report the news from a professional perspective, and will not fall prey to the whims and caprices of those who scramble for state power to the detriment of the majority of their supporters and the voiceless/poor in our society. We do not intend  to dance to the tones of those who only come to know ordinary Liberians when they want ‘power’—no, no; not even those who befriend and pretend to love Liberia when elections are nearing-no, no.

What we can assure the Liberian people  that we would do is to present all who claim to “love Liberia” more than themselves-people who promise who promise to “bring Heaven on Earth”, but  have made no contribution to the socio-economic development of their community or village or town in Liberia, so that Liberians can know them.

If political parties in Liberia lack the ability and capacity to develop and make practical their communication and propaganda strategies, we at The New Dawn-Liberia should not be held responsible for their own inadequacies. We are truly independent and not praise singers.

If Liberian political parties (we mean all of them) fail to put their house in order and their leaders are only concentrating on who to be “standard Bearer or president, should we be held responsible for reporting such news? We say NO. Our business is to report the truth and nothing, but the facts about all sides, most especially in this electioneering period in Liberia. And we shall be Accurate, Balanced and Credible in all that we publish here in the New Dawn-Liberia.